THE HONOURABLE MAN

Episode 27

Just a few days after being kicked out of Bryce’s office Janet pays them a surprise visit at home on a Sunday morning, “What are you doing here?” Bryce sneers at the sight of her. “I’m not here for you, I’m here to get my child,” she forces herself past him. Sam comes running with his arms wide open and throws himself into his mother’s arms.

“Mommy I missed you, why did you leave me?” “I’m sorry baby, I won’t leave you again I promise.” Janet heads upstairs where she starts packing Sam’s suitcase. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” he roars at her after slamming the door shut but Janet isn’t fazed. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m here to take my child that is why I’m packing his belongings,” she huffs.

“Are you out of your damn mind? Sam is not going anywhere with you, you are not fit to take care of yourself let alone a minor and you don’t even want him you are just doing this to spite me.” Janet ignores him and continues packing Sam’s things. “Stop it!” he grabs her hand and pushes her away from the suitcase and she falls to the floor. “Get out of my house right now.”

“No! I’m not leaving without my son,” “He is my child too and I’m a better parent than you, if you want custody of Sam let’s go to court.” He proposes with confidence she would not win custody of Sam for many reasons.

Janet keeps quiet as she ponders silently, “So Bryce thinks he is clever and he has the upper hand, he thinks he can take me on well he has no idea and he is in for a rude awakening,” she puts on an evil smile for she is about to crush him in the worst way ever.

“That won’t be necessary,” she smiles wickedly. “And why is that?” Bryce is bewildered for he didn’t expect her to give up that easily.

“Because Sam is not your biological child you fool,” she blurts. “Get out of here with that nonsense,” he goes ballistic and pushes her towards the door but she frees herself from his hold and digs into her purse to pull out an envelope which she then hands to him. “What is this?” he is reluctant to accept the envelope. “DNA test results proving you are not Sam's father.”

He dreadfully takes the envelope and reads the results which state that there is no match between Sam and a man named Marty but a positive match between Sam and another man named Troy and the test was done five years ago according to the date on the sheet. He falls to the ground in devastation, his hand presses against his chest for he feels as if he is about to have a heart attack.

This cannot be happening to him, it must be some kind of a nightmare or the test results were fabricated. The fact that his name is not even on the paper means Janet knew from the start that the baby wasn’t his and she only took the test because she wasn’t sure who the father was between the two men who were tested.

How can she be so evil to do that to him, to destroy his life like that, does she know what he had to give up for the sake of a baby that’s not his? Tears escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks but Janet doesn’t seem even a little bit touched, she carries on packing Sam’s suitcase like nothing happened. “Janet why? Why do you hate me so much, what did I ever do to you?”

“I don’t hate you, I guess you were just stupid to believe me without a doubt when I told you the baby was yours. I was afraid you would ask for a paternity test considering the fact that we were not even in a relationship and you had no idea how many people I was sleeping with and the child looks absolutely nothing like you but surprisingly you didn’t, so blame yourself for not being wise.”

Bryce understands that what she is saying is completely true, he was indeed stupid for ever believing her and not asking for a paternity test. He has always noticed that Sam looks nothing like him but he always told himself perhaps he got his features from some of his mother’s relatives like his grandfather or his uncles.

He was stupid to let go of Kiana, perhaps if he had told her about the pregnancy she would have convinced him to get a DNA test after the baby was born. Maybe this was his punishment for breaking Kiana’s heart or maybe these are just the consequences of the bad decision he made five years ago. The decision to not doubt the paternity of Janet’s baby as well as choosing her pregnancy over Kiana.

“Janet you can’t be this heartless,” he sniffles. “No I’m not Bryce that is why I decided to make you the father. I knew neither Marty nor Troy would want anything to do with the baby and neither of them would be able to provide the best for Sam like you would or to love and care for him like you would,” she pauses as if to debate if she should or shouldn’t say what she wants to say next.

“Bryce you should know that when we slept together I was already pregnant I planned the whole thing. I just wanted to give my child a better home and a good father but now I realise that you are not all that good, you refused to assist me financially because you wanted to see the mother of your child suffer and you went on to humiliate me by having me dragged out of your office so no! You don’t deserve to keep my child.”

“My word! You really are evil and cold hearted! Pete warned me about you countless times and now I'm sorry I didn’t listen to him,” “f**k Pete! I gave you a son and a chance to be a father, I chose to give my child a better life so how can that be evil? You are the evil and ungrateful one Bryce.”

“Janet how are you going to take care of Sam without a job? If you did all of this for him then please let me adopt him. I love that little boy and he needs me, how much do you want? I will write you a check right now,” he begs causing Janet to snicker at him.

“Guess what? It turns out Troy has actually turned his life around and he landed himself a good paying job so I will just put him on child support. I don’t need your money anymore Bryce.”

“What is it that you want then huh?” He furrows his brows. “I will gladly tell you what I want baby. I want to see you suffer and unfortunately for you taking Sam away from you is the only thing that will destroy you," she icily smirks at him. “You have a twisted mind Janet Jules..I took you in and gave you everything under the sun but you cheated on me even after I forgave you, you still went on to do it again so how dare you stand here and blame me for kicking you out and refusing to give you my money? You are not the victim here so stop acting like one.”

“I’m done packing, a taxi is waiting outside for us, goodbye Bryce,” “Janet wait! If you won’t do this for me then do it for Sam, he is happy here, he loves his father and his grandma please don’t take him away from us." “You are not his father and that spiteful old witch is not his grandma! Don’t worry about Sam he is still young he will soon forget about all of you when he unites with his real family," she smirks before she heads downstairs and grabs Sam who was seated on his grandmother’s lap.

“It’s time to go my boy,” she says. “Where are we going without daddy?” “Sam, he is not….” “Don’t you dare say it,” he warns as he glares at her with threatening eyes. “Can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on here, where is this devious woman going with my grandson?” demands Ms Monroe. “I will tell you everything mother I promise, just not now.”